The Delhi Capitals will look to get back to winning ways when they face the Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday, April 11.
Axar Patel has led the Capitals well, as they have registered wins against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians before losing to the Gujarat Titans in the last game by one run. The batting department has looked solid, especially with KL Rahul returning to form in the last game. Mukesh Kumar has taken wickets with the new ball, making the job of his fellow bowlers easier.
Coming to the Super Kings, they desperately need some inspiration after losing three games in a row against the Rajasthan Royals, the Punjab Kings, and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The bowling attack has been taken to the cleaners in all three games. Ruturaj Gaikwad will have his task cut out as captain to help his side muster a resurgence.
Here is DC’s strongest predicted XI vs CSK, Match 18, IPL 2026:
Top Order: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Rana
Pathum Nissanka has looked in sublime form so far, scoring 86 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 145.77. He will want to register a big score in the upcoming encounter. KL Rahul had a couple of low scores to start the season, but bounced back emphatically with a 52-ball 92 in the last game. Nitish Rana’s form, however, will be a concern for the Capitals as he has only managed 20 runs from three games in IPL 2026.
Middle Order: Axar Patel (C), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam
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Axar Patel may not have come to the party yet with the bat or ball, but he is doing a good job as the leader of the side. His rotation of the bowlers has been exemplary. Tristan Stubbs and David Miller have looked good. The latter will hope to forget what happened in the last game, where he refused a single to Kuldeep Yadav in the last over against the Gujarat Titans but failed to take his team home. Miller is still among the best finishers in the world, and Stubbs’ presence makes the lower-order of DC look even more dangerous. Vipraj Nigam has looked like a pale shadow of his former self. However, he is just 21 years old and will learn a lot from this phase of his career.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan
Kuldeep Yadav has taken three wickets from as many games at an average of 34.67 and an economy rate of 9.45. He will enjoy bowling at this venue. Lungi Ngidi’s slower balls are expected to hold onto the pitch, making stroke play all the more difficult. Mukesh Kumar has been excellent in the power play, especially against left-handers. However, he will have to deal with a right-hander-heavy Chennai batting line-up on Saturday. T Natarajan has been introduced by Axar after the power play overs. He has looked in good rhythm and bowled economically despite being a specialist for death overs.
Delhi Capitals predicted playing XI:
Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Rana, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Axar Patel (C), Vipraj Nigam, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan
Impact Player: Sameer Rizvi
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